Eastern quolls breeding in Booderee

A new count suggests for the first time that eastern quolls born in Booderee National Park may outnumber the captive-bred animals released as part of a reintroduction program.

Related to Tasmanian devils, eastern quolls were driven to extinction on mainland Australia by the introduction of foxes and cats. They had not been seen in the wild in the Booderee region since the 1920s.

Known as Midhagani in the Dhurga language, quolls are culturally significant to the Wreck Bay community.

As part of a 10-year project to return the small carnivorous marsupials to the park, 19 captive-bred quolls were released into an 80-hectare, predator-proof enclosure in Booderee Botanic Gardens in April 2024.

Regular counts have been conducted since then to monitor their progress, and Booderee National Park Country and Conservation Manager, Dr Nick Dexter says the first juvenile quolls were recorded in the park in December 2024.

“Now for the first time, in our most recent survey in January, we counted more quolls that were Booderee-born than had been introduced from outside,” he said.

“We trapped 14 quolls altogether – 7 adults and 7 juveniles – and 8 of them had been born in the gardens.

“We were particularly pleased to see a big male named Mingo, who was one of the first quolls born here in 2024.

“Of the seven juveniles, we found 2 young females in one trap, and their similarity in size and weight suggests they are probably sisters.

“We’ve also had sightings of baby quolls at the feeders in the enclosure. It’s really encouraging to see them breeding successfully.

“The eastern quoll was an important predator in this region before it became locally extinct, and it would be wonderful to see it fulfill that vital role in the ecosystem again.”

Eastern quolls are relatively short-lived, with the females living about 3 years and the males just 2.

Because of this short lifespan, the population in the botanic gardens’ enclosure has been topped up with 6 captive-bred animals to maintain a healthy gene pool.

The January count was conducted by a team made up of staff from Booderee National Park – including 3 new Indigenous Trainee Rangers – the Invasive Species Council, and the Australian National University.

The project is a collaboration between Parks Australia, Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, Rewilding Australia, Invasive Species Council, Australian National University, Taronga Conservation Society Australia and Tasmanian Quoll Conservation Program breeding facilities including Devils@Cradle, Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, and Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary, and Sydney Zoo.